Hampstead didn’t have enough players

By Chris Miller-Prep Sports Writer

Published: Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 09:00 AM.

Jacksonville American Legion Post 265 was awarded a forfeit victory over Hampstead Post 167 on Monday in Game 4 of the first round of the Area II-East playoffs because Hampstead didn’t have enough players.

The best-of-five set is now tied 2-2 with the deciding Game 5 tonight at 7 p.m. at
White
Oak
High School
, Post 265’s home field.

Jacksonville
(9-18) is the third seed in the four-team Area II-East division and Hampstead (8-8) is the second seed.

“We are still owed a game,” said Rick Zickafoose, Area II Commissioner and former Post 265 athletic director. “It’s not as bad as it could have been, but I am still disappointed.”

Zickafoose said Hampstead officials called him prior to Monday’s game to tell him that Post 167 didn’t have enough players to field a team for a variety of reasons. Post 265 was already warming up on the field.

As a result, Zickafoose thought that adjustments such as rescheduling usage of a field would not be possible and that Hampstead would have to forfeit the series, despite Post 167 being up 2-1. But that turned out not to be the case.

Hampstead, which took two of three from
Jacksonville
in the regular season, won Game 1 Friday 15-12 at
Topsail
High School
and Game 2 Saturday 12-8 at White Oak.
Jacksonville
won the third game 20-13 on Sunday at Topsail to set up a fourth game.

Jacksonville American Legion Post 265 was awarded a forfeit victory over Hampstead Post 167 on Monday in Game 4 of the first round of the Area II-East playoffs because Hampstead didn’t have enough players.

The best-of-five set is now tied 2-2 with the deciding Game 5 tonight at 7 p.m. at WhiteOakHigh School, Post 265’s home field.

Jacksonville (9-18) is the third seed in the four-team Area II-East division and Hampstead (8-8) is the second seed.

“We are still owed a game,” said Rick Zickafoose, Area II Commissioner and former Post 265 athletic director. “It’s not as bad as it could have been, but I am still disappointed.”

Zickafoose said Hampstead officials called him prior to Monday’s game to tell him that Post 167 didn’t have enough players to field a team for a variety of reasons. Post 265 was already warming up on the field.

As a result, Zickafoose thought that adjustments such as rescheduling usage of a field would not be possible and that Hampstead would have to forfeit the series, despite Post 167 being up 2-1. But that turned out not to be the case.

Hampstead, which took two of three from Jacksonville in the regular season, won Game 1 Friday 15-12 at TopsailHigh School and Game 2 Saturday 12-8 at White Oak. Jacksonville won the third game 20-13 on Sunday at Topsail to set up a fourth game.

A fifth game if necessary was originally scheduled for today at Topsail.

The Game 5 winner will take on the winner of top-seeded MoreheadCity and No. 4 Jones County. MoreheadCity leads the series 2-1.

“I’m glad we (Post 265) didn’t win the series like that because that’s not what I wanted,” Zickafoose said. “It would be better if they came here (today) and they played us and winner takes all.”